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other countries what steps the Colony takes or fails to take, in safeguarding itself from plague from outside its area.
On the subject of protection of Hong Kong against plague from the mainland, Mr Bell's views and statements are somewhat startling. He holds that systematic and efficient supervision of constant intercourse by water of China with Hong Kong is not to be undertaken, for the reason that, if undertaken, it would never prevent the disease coming in. Further, he states that, as a matter of fact, river boats, launches and junks have been, from the impossibility and uselessness of the "method", "allowed to go free". This seems to indicate that the most dangerous seaborne traffic of Hong Kong with plague-infected areas near at hand has gone practically uncontrolled; and is suggestive, moreover, that the chief factor in the repeated epidemicity of plague in Hong Kong may not, after all, be far to seek. Obviously, if there be any validity in these inferences, the Port Administration needs re-organisation, with or without increase of staff. Probably no measures will prove entirely satisfactory which do not efficiently supervise and control the coolie traffic.
As regards protection of Hong Kong from plague brought over seas from distant ports, Mr Bell's contention appears to be that since coastwise traffic with the mainland of China has not been, and cannot be, controlled by
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